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GA 413 | Understanding the Constraint with Hezi Korn

Avatar photo By Jessica Bush Updated on March 3rd, 2022

This week’s guest is Hezi Korn. Ron and Hezi discussed TOC and how to identify and evaluate your constraints before automating anything. They also touched on some other important lean tools. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here.

In this episode you’ll learn: 

  • The quote Hezi likes (2:16)
  • Hezi’s background (5:35)
  • An Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt story (7:41)
  • Identifying and elevating constraints (11:48)
  • What Hezi would do if the market is the constraint (21:02)
  • Why you don’t want the constraint to move (31:19)
  • Taking a systematic point of view (41:07)
  • What other tools Hezi uses (41:52)
  • About Throughput Dollar Days (48:59)

Podcast Resources

What Do You Think?

What is your take on Theory of Constraints?


  1. Andrew Wagner

    March 15, 2022 - 4:50 pm
    Reply

    I have found the best way to align lean and TOC concepts in my head is to understand that Toyota has select the market as its constraint resource. The market rate of consumption is described by the takt time and every upstream process is subordinated and buffered to ensure that it can product *faster* than the takt time.

    Another important point to make when we talk about deliberately selecting a constraint: that constraint is the process that takes the most time and money to change. Using the Toyota example–product development to increase sales is an enormous investment compared to tooling a single manufacturing process. In the Gemba Academy example, what costs more additional editors or additional script-writers. If script-writers have to be knowledgeable lean consultants, it might be that they should be the constraint that becomes the pacemaker.
    (The fact that you’ve chosen an internal takt time instead of tried to define it in terms of customer demand speaks to the idea that it’s not the market, but something internal.)

    Lastly, while lean talks a lot about ‘balancing the line’ it’s always with respect to takt time, and always with buffer in the system. If you’re buffered against takt time, as Hezi says, 20-30%, you’ve actually achieved what TOC is talking about, although in a slightly different way. The five focusing steps provide a great approach to meeting takt time systematically, and TOC has some good insights in terms of how to determine takt time if you’re not able to make the investments to ensure that your constraint is out in the marketplace.

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